Gold was a baseball and football player in high school. He went on to junior college and led his league in homers, RBI and runs in his two years there. Transferring to Gonzaga, he hit .262/.342/.539 as a junior. He was named All-West Coast Conference He really exploded as a senior, hitting .333/.416/.842 with 33 homers, 59 runs and 76 RBI in 56 games. He led NCAA Division I in home runs (4 ahead of Brad Eldred and Yaron Peters), setting new Conference records for homers and RBI. He was 4th in NCAA Division I in slugging and 6th in total bases. He was named to the All-Conference team and was named the WCC Player of the Year. He finished his college career second in conference history in home runs (46) despite having only played two years at Gonzaga. Collegiate Baseball named him as the All-American first baseman for 2002. Surprisingly, Baseball America did not name him either first-team, second-team or third-team All-American at 1B, instead choosing Peters, Vince Sinisi and J.J. Jurries.

In 2003, the Utah native hit .268/.370/.477 with 35 doubles for the Clinton Lumber Kings. He was third in the Midwest League in doubles 93 shy of the lead) and 5th in slugging. He struggled in the playoffs, hitting .158. The next season, Nate batted .242/.337/.434 for the Stockton Ports with 34 doubles, 20 homers, 85 runs, 94 RBI and 140 strikeouts. He was 5th in the California League in both home runs and runs batted in.

In 2006, Gold produced at a .292/.376/.582 rate for Frisco with 34 homers and 103 RBI. He led the Texas League in home runs and was second only to Kevin Witt in the affiliated minors, two off the pace. He led all Texas farmhands in homers and RBI and also set Frisco records in both categories. He was second in the TL in RBI and slugging and third in total bases. He made the TL All-Star team at DH and was named the Rangers Minor League Player of the Year. Baseball America did not name him as one of the league's top 20 prospects. That winter, he hit .277 for the Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League.

In 2008, Gold hit .255/.339/.474 with 23 HR and 90 RBI for Oklahoma as a younger, better prospect in Chris Davis leapfrogged over him to take over the first base job in Texas. His progress stalled in the Texas ladder, Gold signed with Taiwan's La New Bears for 2009.

Gold made his debut in Taiwan on March 29, 2009, going 1 for 5 with 2 RBI as the #5 hitter and first baseman for the Bears, protecting Chin-Feng Chen in the order. He hit .222/.303/.441 in 18 games then was released, replaced by Tim Raines Jr.

Gold had no plans to continue his baseball career and was bass fishing in Iowa when the Texas Rangers contacted him again, as they needed more pop on their Oklahoma squad. He signed with Texas once more.